I found WILD about six months ago and can confidently say they have left a lasting impact on my psyche ever since. If you ever miss the tastes of good, crunchy mozzarella sticks and grew up on ravioli (like me) — this is the place for you. Pack your bags, and hit the glorious public transit New York has to offer, and it'll be worth every second.
1. Mozzarella Sticks
Like I said before, these sticks are WILD's star of the show. Their taste is authentic, crispy, and brings me back to the days I'd go absolutely feral for the ones at TGI Friday's in my youth. WILD's location came across my TikTok this past spring, and once I caught sight of the mozz sticks it was immediately added to my list. Not to mention the stringy cheese and little to no crumble (typically at-home makes will disintegrate while touching them). Coupled with tomato and basil sauce, if I could have more than six in an appetizer — my life would be changed forever.
2. Chicken Parmigiana
Holistic and all-encompassing, the flavors of this dish were balanced and done to perfection, as Diego describes. Their take on breaded chicken (hold the gluten), contained the same characteristics as their mozz sticks, and WILD continues to outdo themselves. I can't remember the last time I'd had thick and well-cooked spaghetti noodles (due to classic GF makes being rotini). It was messy, in a good way, while replicating a homemade dish that everyone cane enjoy (and forget it's Celiac-friendly).
3. Spinach Ricotta Ravioli
Growing up, I quite literally lived off canned ravioli. Chef Boyardee was my lifeline until 2019 when this silly diagnosis came along. It's okay, because places like WILD know how to rekindle this admiration, if you can't tell by my excitement to the left. Yesterday I tried the spinach and ricotta ravioli, which was creamy, and seasoned well enough to be finished in less than five minutes. The sauce was spiced and capped with parmesan, just like the Chef (my mom) used to make it. Although this was amazing, my favorite dish of theirs was the lobster and cheese (sadly, this isn't sold anymore but I'll never forget it).
I'm at a loss of words for how wild my obsession is with this place, but we can justify it by my endless attempts to make a stop every time I'm in the city. I am a huge pasta lover, (ironically), and I don't think I'll ever refrain from ordering ravioli and mozz sticks when I'm in WILD's vicinity. The question was posed while eating what would happen if I moved across the street, and I think I'd be scared to see the blow my credit card would take. Until then, I'll be locked in Westchester county, far enough away to live off steamed vegetable's and butter noodles.
Our fav 🩷